India launches 10-day clean air campaign to tackle pollution

New Delhi: India’s federal ministry of environment, forest and climate change on Thursday launched a 10-day clean air campaign in the capital Delhi and four places on its outskirts, officials said.

The campaign was launched by federal Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan with the aim to monitor and report polluting activities and to ensure quick action.

The minister flagged off 52 teams that will go to various places of Delhi and national capital region (NCR) to report the incidents of pollution to the concerned enforcing agency.

“These teams will be visiting different parts of Delhi and adjacent towns of Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida to proactively and aggressively report the incidents of pollution for the next 10 days,” the minister said, adding that the teams will also post reports of the pollution on various social media platforms of Central Pollution Control Board.

Officials said the teams will ensure compliance and take quick action against the cases of violations.

While 44 teams will be deployed for Delhi, eight teams will be deployed in the NCR region.

Harsh Vardhan also dispatched special buses called Pariyayantra to mitigate pollution in the capital city. These buses are equipped with an air filter system as part of a pilot project.

Air pollution continues to worsen in New Delhi and it gets worse during winter months.